2012 Fine Homebuilding Award for Best Retirement Home

Samsel Architects won a 2012 Fine Homebuilding Award for Best Retirement Home. The Madison Residence was chosen for this award for its practical space planning and design which allows the owners to stay in the home as their needs change with age.

Fine Homebuilding posted a video of interviews with the architect, Duncan McPherson, AIA and the homeowners, Mike and Jo.… Click to continue reading.

Designing a Retirement House – Part 3: Efficiency

Financial security is an important consideration in the short and long term when investing in a house, especially at retirement age.  As architects we look at  design strategies that maximize efficiency and functionality of space and minimizing energy costs in order to create the best value in a home.

Working within a budget often means creative space use and prioritizing everyday living over… Click to continue reading.

Designing a Retirement House – Part 2: Flexibility

Helping our clients consider and address their future needs as well as their current ones is vital in designing a house that can evolve during retirement years.  Long term livability in a home means designing in flexibility and the first step is determining which design elements need to be included initially and which can be installed with minimal cost if they are needed… Click to continue reading.

Designing a Retirement House – Part 1: Planning

We can’t create a house that can predict the future, but we can design a house for flexibility and adapting to the uncertainty of growing older.  The goal in designing a retirement house is to create a living space that everyone, regardless of age, size or physical ability can live in or visit for as long as possible.

This time in people’s lives… Click to continue reading.